Strip making apparatus



27, 1956 J. E. SILVASY ET AL 2,771,637

STRIP MAKING APPARATUS Filed June 30. 1951 INVENTO JOHN F. SILVAS lOU/S TAYAOE.

Unite STRIP MAKING APPARATUS John E. Silvasy and Louis Taylor, Youngstown, Ohio; said Taylor assignor tosaid 'Silvasy Application June 30, 1951, Serial No. 234,524

4 Claims. (Cl. 18-12) tatefs Patent cally to improvements in rolling mills employed in the initial treatment of the powder.

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of mechanism for intensifying the density of the powdered metal fed to thepressure rollsin. a rolling mill,

the preferred embodiment thereof comprising a pair of spaced shoes or friction plates arranged to oppose the propulsive effort-of the powder feed mechanism and the translation of the compressed powder through the rolls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a comhined guideway and friction plate assembly in a rolling mill for increasing the density of the powdered metal before ejection thereof from the rolls.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism in the rolling mill for varying the compressive effort of the friction plates upon the compressedpowder.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechani-sm for adjusting the driving torque of the powder feed device compensative of the adjustment of the friction plates.

Further objects of the invention reside in theprovision of a discharge control member in a rolling mill which is eflicient of operation, economic of manufacture, durable of structure, and operable in'the hands of unskilled labor.

Other objects and advantages, more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a continuous powdered metal strip unit including a rolling mill embodying the present invention;

'Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View through a portion of the mill, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

'Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the powder feed conduit, pressure rolls, and the compression shoes or friction plates illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of a fragmentary portion of the rolls and conduit; and

Fig. 5 is .a lateral sectional view thereof, the section 'being taken on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Referring first to Fig. l, the strip or sheet mill comprises a motor 10 having an adjustable torque coupling 11 mounted thereon, a conveyor screw 12 driven thereby, a housing therefor, and a hopper 14 communicating therewith for the reception of powdered iron or other finely divided metal. The housing 13 is formed with a flange 15 on the outer end thereof which is connected with a companion flange on a feed conduit 16 having an outwardly flared end terminating in a narrow rectangular opening disposed in aligned relation with a passageway between a pair of spaced horizontal pressure rolls 17. The

2,771,637 Patented Nov. 27, 1 956 2 end of theconduit 16 is designed to prevent the powdered iron fromwedging at the throat 'of "the rolls and the ,upper and lower edges thereof are rounded to the contour of the rolls 17 for intimate engagement with the contiguous faces thereof. The side-wallso'f the conduitprotrude inwardly, terminating at the center o'f'the vertical axes of the rolls in order to effect the even distribution of the powdered metal and delimit-the width-oftheco'mpressed powder strip. The rolls are mountedii -the customaryma-nner in a frame 18, the passagewaybetween the rolls being determined by adjustmentofascrew' -1=9 engaged'in the usual manner with the'bearing block's -that house the journals for the-rollers -17.

The rolling mill is provided with a pair ofispaced, hardened steel shoesor friction plates 20 disposedincontiguous relation with the -discharge end of the rolls '17. The lower plate 20 is. arranged in :tangenti-a'L-relation with the lower roll 17, the upper plate :20 being mountedvfo'r vertical-adjustment in a housing 21 mounted on the frame 18 of .the rolling .mill through:bclts 22. Theupper frict-ion plate is urged toward the lower plate by a springQB controlled by a :screw '24 mounted in a'bracket 25 connectedto the frame 18 of 'themill. The [housing-214m the friction plates .20 is formed -with opposed ribsor flanges 26 on the linealnedgesithereofIwhich are disposed in aligned relation with the side walls oftherondui-t 11.6 to guide the compressed powdered :metal ejected by the rolls-17.

The millis furtherprovided withan endless conveyor belt assembly 27 adjacent the discharge .end of the frie tion plates 20 and a sintering-furnace -2;8-is mounted;;in aligned relation with the outer endofthe ,eonveyor helt assembly. The sintering furnace; is. of conventional,-

save that atrough'or guideway 29 is .mounted'therein'for 31 adjacent the outer end of the-second mill-isprovidedi to receive the compressed and sintered ,;metallic strip ejected by therolls 3.0. Ilhe.rolls,17 and QOarerotatedi in the customary manner throughgean'ng, not shown,v from a suitablesource of power.

In operation, the powderedmetal isfed from thehop per :14 through the {conduit lfiuby the conveyor screw 12,.

the powdered metal heingforced; hetweenthe, rolls 17 in:

a layerof constant widthand. depth. As the. comp essed powder is passing throughthe pressurerolls 1,7 thedens-ity' thereof is further increased lay-the retarding act-ion of the'tfriction plates 20 which are set to oppose the prop-uh sive effort of the screw 12 and tractive effort of the rolls: 17. The load imposed upon the spring 23 may be regulated compensative of the tract-ive effort of the pressure rolls 17, which increases with the diameter thereof, andv the torque adjustment of the powder feed mechanism illustrated herein as the conveyor screw 12.

During the initial run of the roll mill a plate of metal of requisite thickness is inserted between the friction plates 20 in order to initiate a back pressure on the powdered metal in the throat of the conduit 16. As the powdered strip passes through the rolls, the plate is dislodged and may be lifted from the conveyor before the end of the strip enters the sintering furnace.

The second rolling mill receives the compressed strip of powdered metal as it leaves the sintering furnace, the rolls 30 further compressing and working the heated metal strip to the desired gauge. A hood or jacket 32 is provided between the furnace and adjacent mill to prevent undue heat loss in the metallic strip before it passes through the rolls 30.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

we claim:

, 1. Apparatus for making continuous metal strips from powdered metal comprising a pair of pressure rolls in direct contact with the powdered metal, a conduit in contact with the rolls and extending into the space between the rolls for supplying powderedmetal to said rolls,

power driven means for forcing the powdered metal through said conduit into the space between said rolls, and spaced plates adjacent the opening between said rolls in frictional engagement with both sides of said strip for resisting the translation of the powdered metal between the said rolls and exerting a force in said strip opposite to the force producedby said power driven means thereby increasing the pressure in the powdered metal between said rolls, the inner ends of said plates having tapered edges in contact with the rolls and disposed adjacent the vertical plane through the axis of rotation of said rolls.

I 2. A machine for making sheet metal in a continuous strip comprising a hopper having powdered metal therein, a conveyor screw assembly communicating therewith, a

constant torque driving mechanism therefor, a transition conduit disposed in alignment with said conveyor, a pair of spaced pressure rolls in contact with the discharge end of the conduit for direct contact with the powdered metal discharged from said conduit, said conduit extending into the space between the rolls and spaced fixed plates frictionally engaging directly with the strip passing from the rolls for producing a force in said strip opposite to the direction of travel thereof to create a compacting and densifying action on the powdered metal between'the rolls, the inner ends of said plates having tapered edges in contact with the rolls and disposed adjacent the vertical plane through the axis of rotation of said rolls.

3. A machine for making sheet metal in a continuous strip comprising a hopper having powdered metal therein,

conveyor means communicated therewith, a driving mechanism therefor, a transition conduit disposed in alignment with said conveyor and being formed with a narrow flared outlet, a pair of spaced pressure rolls in contact with the flared end of said conduit for direct contact with the powdered metal discharged from said conduit, said flared end of said flared conduit extending into the space between the rolls for distributing the powdered metal between the rolls throughout the length thereof and spaced plates adjacent the opening between said rolls in frictional engagement with both sides of said strip for resisting the translation of the powdered metal between the said rolls and exerting a force in said strip opposite to the force produced by said conveyor means thereby increasing the pressure in the powdered metal between said rolls, the inner ends of said plates having tapered edges in contact with the rolls and which are disposed adjacent the vertical plane through the axis of rotation of said rolls.

4. A machine for making sheet metal in a continuous strip comprising a hopper having powdered metal therein, a [conveyor screw assembly communicating therewith, a driving mechanism therefor, a transition conduit disposed in alignment with said conveyor and being formed with a narrow flared outlet, a pair of spaced pressure rolls in contact with the flared end of said conduit for direct contact with the powdered metal discharged from said conduit, said flared end of said flared conduit extending into the space between the rolls for distributing the powdered metal between the rolls throughout the length thereof, and spaced plates adjacent the opening between said rolls in frictional engagement with both sides of said strip for resisting the translation of the powdered metal be.- tween the said rolls and exerting a force in said strip opposite to the force produced by said conveyor screw assembly thereby increasing the pressure in the powdered metal between said rolls, the inner ends of said plates having tapered edges in contact with the rolls and disposed adjacent the vertical plane through the axis of rotation of said rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

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